Overwatch director says addressing the 5v5 versus 6v6 debates late 'cost us trust': 'We should have listened sooner'

The single most controversial change in Overwatch 2 (now Overwatch) was its shift to having five players on each team instead of six. Dropping one player dramatically changed the way the hero shooter worked, driving off many players who fell in love with the 6v6 format in the original game.

"This was one of the most, if not the most, controversial gameplay decisions in Overwatch's history," game director Aaron Keller said during a panel at this year's Game Developers Conference.

From the moment Overwatch 2 was released in 2022...